Fiber optic cables are widely used to transmit light signals for high speed data transmission. A fiber optic cable typically includes: (1) an optical fiber or optical fibers; (2) a buffer or buffers that surrounds the fiber or fibers; (3) a strength layer that surrounds the buffer or buffers; and (4) an outer jacket. Optical fibers function to carry optical signals. A typical optical fiber includes an inner core surrounded by a cladding that is covered by a coating. Buffers (e.g., loose or tight buffer tubes) typically function to surround and protect coated optical fibers. Strength layers add mechanical strength to fiber optic cables to protect the internal optical fibers against stresses applied to the cables during installation and thereafter. Example strength layers include aramid yarn, steel and epoxy reinforced glass roving. Outer jackets provide protection against damage caused by crushing, abrasions, and other physical damage. Outer jackets also provide protection against chemical damage (e.g., ozone, alkali, acids).
Fiber optic cable connection systems are used to facilitate connecting and disconnecting fiber optic cables in the field without requiring a splice. A typical fiber optic cable connection system for interconnecting two fiber optic cables includes fiber optic connectors mounted at the ends of the fiber optic cables, and an adapter for mechanically and optically coupling the fiber optic connectors together. Fiber optic connectors generally include ferrules that support the ends of the optical fibers of the fiber optic cables. The end faces of the ferrules are typically polished and are often angled. The adapter includes co-axially aligned ports (i.e., receptacles) for receiving the fiber optic connectors desired to be interconnected. The adapter includes an internal sleeve that receives and aligns the ferrules of the fiber optic connectors when the connectors are inserted within the ports of the adapter. With the ferrules and their associated fibers aligned within the sleeve of the adapter, a fiber optic signal can pass from one fiber to the next. The adapter also typically has a mechanical fastening arrangement (e.g., a snap-fit arrangement) for mechanically retaining the fiber optic connectors within the adapter. One example of an existing fiber optic connection system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,579,014, 6,648,520, and 6,899,467.
Fiber optic telecommunication technology is becoming prevalent in part because service providers want to deliver high bandwidth communication capabilities to subscribers. One such technology is referred to as passive optical networks (PONS). PONS may use optical fibers deployed between a service provider central office, or head end, and one or more end user premises. A service provider may employ a central office, or head end, containing electronic equipment for placing signals onto optical fibers running to user premises. End user premises may employ equipment for receiving optical signals from the optical fibers. In PONS, the central office, or head end, transmission equipment and/or the transmission equipment located at the end user premises may, respectively, use a laser to inject data onto a fiber in a manner that may not require the use of any active components, such as amplifiers between the central office, or head end, and/or the end user premises. In other words, only passive optical components, such as splitters, optical fibers, connectors and/or splices, may be used between a service provider and an end user premises in PONS. PONS may be attractive to service providers because passive networks may be less costly to maintain and/or operate as compared to active optical networks and/or older copper based networks, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN). In addition to possibly being less expensive than other network topologies, PONS may provide sufficient bandwidth to meet a majority of end users' high bandwidth communication needs into the foreseeable future.
In PONS, transmission equipment may transmit signals containing voice, data and/or video over a fiber strand to the premises. An optical fiber may be split using, for example, passive optical splitters so that signals are dispersed from one fiber (the input fiber) to multiple output fibers running to, for example, user premises from a convergence point in the network. An optical fiber routed to a user's premises may be routed via a fiber drop terminal en route to the premises. At the fiber drop terminal, signals appearing on one or more optical fibers may be routed to one or more end user premises. Fiber drop terminals may be mounted in aerial applications, such as near the tops of utility poles, along multi-fiber and/or multi-conductor copper strands suspended between utility poles. Fiber drop terminals may also be installed in junction boxes mounted at ground level and/or in below-grade vaults where utilities are run below ground. Example fiber drop terminals are disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,347; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0213921 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,292,763); and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0153517 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,680,388).